


Chapter Eleven: The Wrong Side

by CavalierConvoy



Series: MTMTE Series One: Shoot Straight with a Crooked Gun [12]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers Generation One, Transformers Generation Two, Transformers: Beast Machines, Transformers: Beast Wars
Genre: Bets & Wagers, Bromance to Romance, Drinking & Talking, Gen, Investigations, Lab Bromance, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-13 02:02:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3363644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CavalierConvoy/pseuds/CavalierConvoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ultra Magnus delegates Trailcutter and Artemis to handle rumour control and the whereabouts of missing fuel cells, if only to keep them "available" for questioning in the future. Tapping Perceptor to help with the count, they find Brainstorm poking around where he shouldn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chapter Eleven: The Wrong Side

 

I see things the darker kids see  
Though you wouldn't believe all that's happened to me  
I've been to the back side of hell,  
And I've played with your fear and enjoyed it well  
—"[The Wrong Side"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upZ33318g2c) by Abney Park, from _The Death of Tragedy_

The _Lost Light_  
Now

"What's the situation?" 

Most would go rigid at attention upon the delivery; that was not a request, it was an order. 

Still, Artemis had practice. Whereas Trailcutter snapped to attention, his companion spun on her heel and fell into step with Ultra Magnus, her head down, optics forward, Wrecker-style gait. 

"Depends on what Rod told you already," Artemis countered; Trailcutter followed, mouth shut. This was Magnus's show now.

Only one person on board was brave enough to give him grief. Two, including Rodimus. Magnus put up with Rodimus, though; hard telling with Artemis. "They found Red Alert's body in the reservoir, decapitated. From there, Drift and Rod's been waiting for you to get back here to continue the investigation. 'Cutter and I were on rumour control. Anything else, not much. Red's in ICU; First Aid and Ambulon's handling that situation."

"And the fuel cells?"

"Unimportant until we can find out what happened to Red. At worst, they're overclocked flash-bangs."

She was behaving tonight, Trailcutter observed. It had to be the death in the ranks. 

"I want both of you available for questioning after I discuss matters with Rodimus and Drift," Magnus ordered. "In the meantime, quell the talk."

"On it, soldier," she agreed, dropping behind to meet back up with Trailcutter. For his audio receptors only, she muttered, "'Available' means 'sober' in Magnus-speak, if you haven't figured that out yet."

"Yes, I want you both sober!" Magnus snapped. 

Trailcutter cringed; Artemis smirked. "Haven't gotten used to that yet?" she chided, grabbing his arm and leading him in the other direction. "What's going on tonight for public gatherings, other than the private party at Swerve's?"

"Blaster, you got your audio receptors on?" Trailcutter hailed, engaging the speaker function of his comm so both of them could hear the reply.

_"Tuned in to your channel! What's shaking?"_

"Do we have gatherings of more than six bots forming, give it about one klick around the reservoir?"

_"I've got something in the main auditorium — looks like a game of sorts; too bad my man Eject wasn't cruising, he could tell us what's playing. We also got a couple of movies going on, some indie drinking picnics down near the observation decks, and probably some questionable content going on in the shuttle bays — oh, look, something going on in Shuttle Bay Eleven. Sounds like your song!"_

"We're on it!" Trailcutter announced just as Artemis hailed, "Perce, meet us at Shuttle Bay Eleven, we might need a hand!"

 _"I'll check on Brainstorm en route,"_ Perceptor agreed. 

"Cavalier, what's your twenty?" Artemis switched gears. She did not receive an audio cue, but instead a quick ping: _At hab LP'n CotD w/ boyz lotsa lolz join?_

"The frag?" She muttered. "'At hab...LPN —' let's play? Must be a game night. She's in our hab suite, I'm guessing."

"Blaster, can you confirm Cavalier's position in her hab suite?" Trailcutter questioned.

_"Cav's in the hab, with Rollout, Slapdash, and Smokescreen. They're not moving, so I'm thinking either they're found your stash of engex, Art, or they're playing video games."_

"Possibly both," Artemis grumbled. "Thanks, Blaster; keep us posted for any weird slag; we're heading to SB-Eleven."

"You're really suspecting her now," Trailcutter deduced as they headed down to the shuttle bays. 

"I prefer the term 'person of interest', and for the record, it's not because of criminal mischief," Artemis retorted. "I know her — she is innovative if anything. If the fuel cells are missing...."

"From Nyon, right?" Trailcutter mused. "Does she cache weapons, explosives, supplies?"

"She's innovative, but tends to do things on the fly. Which gives me an idea." Sending another ping, Artemis then sheathed her comm. "We need help combing the vents. If there's caches, best place to find them would be in the vents."

"And where we're not exactly built for small spaces.... Huffer's on maintenance; we can check with him once we know what we're up against." He harrumphed. "I still have no idea how Skids was able to get around during the sparkeater incident."

Perceptor was waiting for them outside the door to Shuttle Bay Eleven; Brainstorm was beside him, hopping from one foot to the other.

"Told you to stay off the circuit boosters," Artemis jested towards the yellow and blue Autobot. 

"I found him here, conducting his own investigation," Perceptor stated, locked in stare-down with his fellow scientist. Artemis was impressed; back on Autobot City, he had been bookish, even hesitant to join in battle. While she had been out with her Wreckers, he had taken a file out of her data tracks and gave himself an upgrade, falling into step behind Springer in his unit. Perceptor earned a quick reputation as a scary-accurate sniper, and a 'bot she tapped whenever she led clean-up requiring close-range accuracy.

"For what do we owe the honours?" Artemis directed to Brainstorm.

"Morbid curiosity," Brainstorm retorted. "I can't help but wonder why Red Alert would be interested in missing MARB fuel cells when there's so much more on board to flip out over. And I have to wonder why the cameras have yet to be replaced."

"When did you find out about that?" Trailcutter demanded, sharing a look with Artemis.

"Simple deduction, of course," Brainstorm looked down at his hand and wiggled his fingers. "Red's behaviour as of late has been rather ... erratic, and believing that something was amiss since the last weapons test — remember his initial half-sparked investigation? Didn't really dawn on me until now, but methinks he's been preoccupied in something much darker than missing fuel cells."

"Until you said that, Brainstorm," Artemis's tone was even, as though spelling out a concept, "you had been cleared as a person of interest by Red himself."

"'Person of interest'. Why not just say 'suspect'? I swear, the phrase 'person of interest' was invented to pad an investigation report while attempting to maintain the illusion of political correctness. 'Person of interest'. Bah!"

"He's stalling," Trailcutter pushed past the eccentric inventor and thumbed the 'open' glyph to the shuttle bay.

"I am doing no such thing!" To Perceptor, he demanded, "Do they seem more sober than usual?"

"Magnus is back on board," Artemis warned, "giving us specific orders to be 'available' to report."

"Which is Magnus for 'sober'. Gotcha." Brainstorm remained outside the shuttle bay door as the other three Autobots entered.

"Brainstorm, get in here!" Artemis snapped. "You aren't leaving my sight until we figure out what the slag is going on here!"

"She does get grumpy when she's not pounding back a lager, doesn't she?" Brainstorm sighed, shrugging as he entered the shuttle bay. Perceptor groaned, his shoulders slumping from exasperation.

The activity Blaster could have been Brainstorm earlier, but Artemis and Trailcutter pushed that aside for now and looked for anything out of place from earlier that sol. 

"Perce, can you and Brainstorm count the fuel cells? We should be ten short, if the report's correct," Artemis questioned; as irritated as she was with Brainstorm, she wanted to remain in his good graces. Pairing them up, while to Perceptor's annoyance, might do just that; Perceptor's kinship was strong enough not to be wavered by unsavoury tasks.

Trailcutter whistled, nodding up at the camera in the far corner. "Art, is that the malfunctioning camera?"

"Blaster," she hailed, "can you access the remaining camera in SB-Eleven?"

_"On it! Yep, I've got visual, you, 'Cutter, and — huh."_

"I don't know how to translate 'huh', Blaster."

_"Red? Looks time-lapsed; might have to do with that anomaly Cav reported. I'll pull the video and see what I can find."_

"Thanks, Blaster. Keep us posted." Today's catch-phrase: keep us posted. "What were you doing here, Brainstorm?" she then demanded.

"Same thing you are: trying to figure out why someone would take low-yield fuel cells."

"With at least three Autobots known who can construct improvised explosive devices, we have to keep that for consideration," Perceptor muttered. "One with an alibi, I'd imagine."

"And no M.O.," Artemis added. "That would be Rod," she expanded. Trailcutter gave her a thumbs up for the clarification.

"So what about Cav's alibi?" he asked.

"Remember what I said about her?"

"She barely remembers what she did five cycles ago."

"Let alone six megacycles ago. Hence why she's still a person of interest."

"Suspect!" Brainstorm snapped. 

"Did you check with Waverider?" Artemis questioned her comrade.

Trailcutter nodded. "He was helping Dipstick in the coolant processing plant all sol."

"Well, that narrows it down. Now to find the proof. Brainstorm, give me a count."

"Twelve MARBs present, six cells each, all accounted for. Perceptor?"

The red and black Autobot slammed the locker door harder than he had intended. "Spare cells are accounted for in this bank." He passed Brainstorm at a quick clip, avoiding optic contact.

"I'm so going to owe Perce," Artemis hissed under her breath, close to Trailcutter's audio receptor before resuming her own search of the area. Aloud, she questioned, "I think it's time to call in one of your guys, 'Cutter."

"Hey, Huffer, you busy? We could use your help in Shuttle Bay Eleven." Trailcutter hailed. After a pause, he nodded. "Thanks, buddy." To Artemis, he reported, "He'll be down in a couple of cycles." 

"Eureka!" Perceptor announced. "Artemis, cross-referencing the maintenance manifest, there is an entire carton missing from storage." He paused. "A carton is sixteen cells."

"That's more than the initial reported missing!" Brainstorm exclaimed. 

"You so owe Percy," Trailcutter hissed. Artemis darted her optics to grant him a warning glare before joining Perceptor at the locker.

"Okay, so Red's the type who would physically count inventory if he suspects something wrong," she stated. "Who was the last one to do maintenance on the MARBs?"

"Huffer," Trailcutter interjected. "Already checked the maintenance logs; figured we could kill two Sharkticons with one blast."

"Cheers," Artemis grinned as the doors slid open, granting access to the goggled orange and blue Minibot.

"Hey, Huffer! We've got a favour to ask!" Trailcutter greeted. "So when you did the last maintenance on the MARBs, did you remember to check fuel cells against inventory?"

Huffer opened his mouth to speak, froze, then clasped his hands on either side of his head. "Oh, no!" He cried. "No, I totally forgot! I'm so sorry!"

"No worries, no worries," the largest Autobot waved his hand. "Do you at least remember how many MARBs you replaced the fuel cells on last check?"

Artemis flicked a grin; Trailcutter's personality put anyone at ease, even under questioning: the good cop to her snarky, "give me an answer I like or I'll pummel the Primus-loving slag outta you" cop.

Huffer considered this, ticking off his fingers. "Just the three from the Delphi run, so eighteen total."  
"Eighteen?" Perceptor repeated, glancing over at Artemis. She shook her head, a short, quick gesture. _Not now_.

Still, Huffer nodded. "Burnt out most of them getting Max and the others back to the shuttle. Usually they're good for four or five trips."

"Check for burnouts put back in the cartons," Artemis hissed to Perceptor and Brainstorm. "Be discreet."

"You should be a little more trusting, Art," Brainstorm clapped her shoulder before resuming the task.

"That's all we need to know, buddy," Trailcutter continued. "Do you have a bit? We've looking for some contraband in the area vents — and before you say anything, no one's hiding our engex. We're thinking pranksters more than anything."

"By 'pranksters', you mean..." Huffer gestured toward Artemis with his thumb, his attempts of being inconspicuous failing.

"Hey, Art! Who was the last person you pranked?" Trailcutter called out; Huffer attempted to shush him, optics wide in horror.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Artemis retorted, a dry delivery laced with sarcasm, "but the last time a paint bomb trap had officially been logged in my immediate vicinity was back in Autobot City, prior to the Legion Conflict."

"Oh, I wasn't meaning you!" Huffer waved his hands in front of him. "I was talking about —"

"Cav? A spade's a spade. Nyon's known for producing pranksters, saboteurs, and anarchists, and Cav fits the profile."

"You don't pull any punches, do you?" Huffer questioned.

"Figuratively and literally," she rebutted. She tapped her right hip and glanced at Trailcutter. 

"Five cycles, max," Brainstorm muttered to Perceptor. 

"Five cycles, what?"

"Before one of them takes a nip."

Perceptor granted him a withered look.

With Trailcutter's help, Huffer climbed into the vent above the storage lockers. As he scampered through the ducts, his progress marked by the loud warble of metal against metal, Perceptor tapped Artemis's shoulder. "There's nothing to indicate the spent cells were returned to the cartons. The recycling checklist matches Huffer's story."

"Ten reported missing, in reality sixteen. Eighteen were used, what, two, three sols after the Delphi incident?"

Perceptor nodded as Brainstorm joined them. "Which puts Huffer a decacycle before our weapons test," the weapons inventor reported.

"Before we lost the cameras," Artemis nodded. "Blaster."

_"You're on, Art! What's shaking?"_

"I need info on maintenance logs and video for the Shuttle Bay Eleven, following the Delphi incident."

_"I'll see what I can pull; most of that's Red's department."_

"Red's not available," Artemis sighed; she did not know how much Blaster knew about current events. 

_"I'll see what I can do."_

"Thanks, Blaster." 

"Is Huffer a 'person of interest'?" Brainstorm questioned.

"No, Brainstorm, he's not a suspect. And you're mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you!" He tapped his fingers together. "I'm a little disappointed, of course, but I understand the brotherhood Wreckers have, which is why I'm not taking this infraction to spark."

"What infraction?" Perceptor demanded. "My interest is to keep our crew safe from harm. That means both from hostile sources as well as accidental so-called 'friendly fire'. While yes, as both Artemis and myself served with the Wreckers, and yes, I do hold respect for my brethren amongst their ranks, when a weapon that I feel does not meet my stringent scrutiny for safety or efficiency — "

"— but you said you liked my hammer!" Brainstorm protested.

"One success!"

"Oi, boys!" Artemis stepped in between the two scientists. "Can we keep this civil? We need Brainstorm's ingenuity; how many non-lethal weapons has he created for the greater good?"

There; she just made up for her behaviour towards Brainstorm for the past megacycle. 

Perceptor said nothing at first, only nodded. "The weapons themselves may not be considered lethal; I'm more concerned about the testing practises of those in theoretical and experimental stages." 

"I promise to you," Brainstorm held up his hand in pledge, "that the next one I forge, I shall discuss the safety protocols with you before I engage in testing."

"Hey, 'Cutter! Art! Got something here!" Huffer shouted, his voice echoing off the ductwork. "There's signage — like markers for caches or something!"

"Can you get some pics?" Trailcutter suggested. "Send them to our comms?"

"Lighting's pretty much slag in here, but I'll see what I can get!"

"We should get Rewind for a follow-up," Artemis suggested; Trailcutter agreed with a silent nod. 

A series of pings hit both comms; both Artemis and Trailcutter checked their devices. 

The photos received were little more than graffiti in Artemis's knowledge; Trailcutter had helped himself to the flask at her hip. 

"Four cycles, twenty-two clicks!" Brainstorm exclaimed. Perceptor nudged him with a sharp elbow, a warning gesture.

Another ping, this one with that damned, fixed-spaced font and a subject line Presence is required immediately in the office of— "Primus, soldier, where else would I find you?"

"He didn't!" Trailcutter peered over her shoulder, taking a swig. "He did!" He laughed, returning the flask to its holster. "The entire title! In the subject line!"

"'Persons of interest'," Brainstorm muttered.

She thumbed the screen dark without reading the body of the message. "Can you handle it here?" she questioned Trailcutter; when he nodded, she turned to the door. "Highly unlikely this is a call for a frag."

Huffer, at that moment climbing out of the vent, fumbled his hold and catches himself from falling onto the shuttle bay floor.

"See? Pulls no punches," Trailcutter chuckled.

NEXT CHAPTER: Between The Worlds


End file.
